How To Find True Joy In A Lonely World

In one such lonely season of my life, I began to rely on the people
around me more than the Father who placed them there. Suddenly, their
opinions mattered the most to me. I began blindly following their
advice, assuming my best interest was always at the center of their
universe.

What the Bible Says about Loneliness God’s Word has such
comforting, clear words for our loneliness. When we find ourselves in
desperate hours of loneliness, whether dealt by our own hand or unfairly
by the sinful world we live in, God promises to hear our cries.
Sometimes, we just need to get quiet enough to hear His answers. Though
our loneliness may leave us feeling isolated, it is through that time of
silence God may choose to speak most audibly to us.

Hannah,
whose story we read about in 1 Samuel, knew a thing or two about
loneliness. Unable to bear children, being around friends and family was
a constant reminder of what she lacked. Like many of us, she was not
alone but felt lonely regardless. In addition, Penninnah, her husband’s
other wife, teased her incessantly about her infertility. Loneliness can
make us feel hopeless, just as Hannah felt. But in the midst 1 Samuel
1:11, is the word, ‘remember.’

Our God, the Commander of heavenly
armies, remembers us. The NIV Study Bible Notes states, “To remember is
more than simply to recap that Hannah existed. It is to go into action
on her behalf.”

God surely did hear Hannah’s prayer. 1 Samuel
1:19b says, “…the Lord remember her.” Hannah conceived a child, and
named him Samuel, because she asked the Lord for Him. (1 Samuel 1:20)
Why God Allows Us to Feel Lonely

In
my season of loneliness, God isolated me even further to reset my scope
of reality. There were some idols in my heart that needed to be torn
down. Lies that could only be debunked, deleted, and replaced through
time spent in search of God’s Truth. It was by no power of my own, but
through Christ in me. His compassion to walk the earth and sacrifice His
life for ours, gives us full access to the Father. The Holy Spirit
resides in those who follow His feet, and that is where the power to
pull out of a season of loneliness lies.

We can be authentic and
raw with God when life’s rug is pulled out from underneath us. Whether
we are lonely due to loss, failure, confusion, addition, divorce,
abandonment, abuse, or any matter of confusion or mistreatment, we can
hit the floor and unravel before Him. Life can be overwhelming,
confusing, and unfair, but Psalm 91:11 assures us, “He will order His
angels to protect you wherever you go.” We are worth protecting.
How God Comforts Us in Our Loneliness

There
are many seasons in life that can make us feel lonely outside of
barrenness. We can feel lonely when we are single or married; friendless
or popular; successful or stuck; healthy or chronically sick.
Loneliness has a lot to do with our perspective, which can become
miss-aligned when we feel alone or abandoned. Scripture provides us with
ample reminders of God’s uninterrupted presence. Reading God’s Word in
these circumstances can shift our demeanor from inward disdain to
outward praise.

“O Lord, open his eyes so he may see,” the
prophet Elijah prayed of his panicking servant in 2 Kings 6:17. The
Aramean army was closing in on them, and his servant couldn’t see a
solution. “Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and
saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
When loneliness threatens to water seeds of fear and cut down branches
of hope, we can rest assured that God remembers us.

After Hannah
gave birth to Samuel, she prayed, “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” 1 Samuel
2:2. He is our Rock, “the unfailing source of security for His people”
(NIV Study Bible Notes). He will never fail to remember us.